Film CertificatesBY JESS MARSHALL

About the BBFC

The British Board of Film Classification is an independent company, set up in 1912 which gives age ratings to films prior to theatrical release and videos/ DVDs since the Video Recordings Act was passed in 1984.

Main Age Ratings

• U – Suitable for all

• PG – Parental Guidance

• 12A – Cinema release suitable for 12 years and over

• 12 – Video release suitable for 12 years and over

• 15 – Suitable only for 15 years and over

• 18 - Suitable only for adults

There are six main age ratings in the UK:

What age rating would our film be?The content of our film may be frightening to a younger audience, so the certificate can be narrowed down to either a 15 or 18.

WHAT MIGHT BE SEEN IN A FILM WITH AN AGE RATING OF 15?

• Strong violence.

• Frequent strong language.

• Portrayals of sexual activity.

• Strong verbal references to sex.

• Sexual nudity.

• Brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence.

• Discriminatory language or behaviour.

• Drug taking.

WHAT MIGHT BE SEEN IN A FILM WITH AN AGE RATING OF 18?

• Very strong violence.

• Frequent strong language and / or very strong language.

• Strong portrayals of sexual activity.

• Scenes of sexual violence.

• Strong horror.

• Strong blood and gore.

• Full on sex (in some circumstances).

• Discriminatory language and behaviour.

What age rating would our film be?

Looking through the guidelines the BBFC have set on films with an age rating of 15 and 18. I feel that our film would more likely have an age rating of 15, although it is difficult to tell not having the rest of the film’s content.

Our film’s themes are mental illness and also violence and crime. However I don’t feel that the violence or gore would be strong enough to mean the film needed a rating of 18. There would be references to drugs, however this would be in a medical sense. There wouldn’t be any sexual references or nudity and profanity would be kept to a minimum if there were to be any.

Most of the frightening scenes would be psychological as opposed to physical violence, so therefore our film would fit mostly into the guidelines of an age rating 15 film, as the content wouldn’t be strong enough to be awarded an 18 rating.